Crosshead assembly



June 29, 1954 A, R, MAlER CROSSHEAD ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 2. 1949 Invader:

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Patented June 29, 1954 CROS SHEAD AS SEMBLY August R. Maier, Dallas,Tex., assigner to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of NewJersey Application February 2, 1949, Serial No. 74,061

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to crosshead assemblies for reciprocating pumpswhich have three or more cylinders in a single bank.

An object of the invention is to provide in reciprocating pumps improvedguides for the crossheads of intermediate cylinders that furnish easieraccess for assembling or dismantling the parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide in reciprocating pumpsimproved guides for the crossheads of intermediate cylinders in whichthe guide is fixed to a removable cover on the housing and hence can beassembled or dismantled readily and furnishes ready access to thecrosshead parts.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, Ihave provided improved details of structure, preferred forms of whichare shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a reciprocatingpump which has a crosshead guide construction embodying features of thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on lineII-II of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to Figure 2, butshowing a modified construction.

In the drawing there is shown a reciprocating pump which has a pluralityof cylinders I in a single bank, in this instance three in number. Thepump is illustrated as of the plunger type and has a plunger I2reciprocable in each cylinder. The plungers are driven from a crankshaftI3, connecting rods I4 and crossheads I5 in the usual fashion. A housingI6 rotatably mounts the crankshaft and slidably mounts the crossheads.

Pins I'I join each crosshead I5 to its connecting rod I4 and are held inplace by plates I 8 and projecting fasteners I9. Anti-friction bearingsare interposed between pins II and connecting rods I4. Each crossheadcomprises spaced side plates 2I and 22 and spaced top and bottom plates23 and 24 (Figure 2). The latter plates preferably are arcuate in crosssection and are welded at their longitudinal edges to the side plates.Replaceable arcuate bearing shoes 25 are bolted to each of the top andbottom plates of each crosshead. Housing I6 has complementary arcuateguide channels 26 opposite each of the bottom bearing shoes of the threecrossheads and complementary arcuate guide channels 21 opposite the topbearing shoes of the two outside crossheads. The guide channels receivethe bearing shoes and thus guide movement of the crossheads.

In accordance with the present invention, the housing has a removablecover plate 28 Which is affixed by bolts 29 opposite the top bearingshoe of the central crosshead. The guideway for the top bearing shoe isfixed to the underside of this cover plate. In one preferred arrangementshown in Figures 1 and 2 said cover plate has integral webs 30 and 3Iwhich depend into the housing and carry an integral guide piece 32. Thelatter has a downwardly facing guide channel, which receives the bearingshoe 25 for the top plate of the central crosshead.

Alternatively any of the guideways may be equipped with removablebearing shoes like the crossheads. Figure 3 shows a cover plate 28awhich has a shoe 33 bolted to its guide piece 32a. This arrangement hasa further advantage that the cover plate can be of a light metal such asaluminum to facilitate handling, while the bearing shoe can be of a wearresistant metal, such as cast iron or bronze.

When the cover plate is removed from or as- .z sembled with the housing,guide piece 32 likewise is removed or assembled and thus can be placedautomatically on its bearing shoe. The central crosshead parts arereadily accessible on removal of only the one integral part from thehousing. Therefore it is` seen that the present invention provides anespecially simple and ready means for gaining access to the centralcrosshead, as well as facilitating assembly of these parts.

While I have shown and described only certain preferred embodiments ofthe present invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise.Therefore I do not wish to be limited by the dis-- closure set forth,but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. A reciprocable mechanism comprising a housing shaped to provide apair of integral spaced apart outside bottom guides, a pair of integralspaced apart outside top guides directly above said bottom guides, anintegral intermedate bottom guide between said outside bottom guides,and an opening between said outside top guides directly over saidintermediate bottom guide, a pair of outside crossheads slidably mountedin said housing with their bottom faces received in said outside bottomguides and their top faces received in said outside top guides, anintermediate crosshead slidably mounted in said housing with its bottomface received in said intermediate bottom guide, a cover plate removablyattached to said housing over said opening, and an intermediate topguide carried by the underside of said cover plate for removal therewithand depending into said housing and receiving the top face of saidintermediate crosshead.

2. A reciprocable mechanism comprising a housing shaped to provide apair of integral spaced apart outside bottom guides, a pair of integralspaced apart outside top guides directly above said bottom guides, anintegral intermediate bottom guide between said outside bottom guides,and an opening between said outside top guides directly over saidintermediate bottom guide, a pair of outside crossheads slidably mountedin said housing with their bottom faces received in said outside bottomguides and their top faces received in said outside top guides, anintermediate crosshead slidably mounted in said housing with its bottomface received in said in termediate bottom guide, a cover plateremovably attached to said housing over said opening, integral webscarried by the underside of said cover plate and depending into saidhousing, and an intermediate top guide carried by said webs andreceiving the top face of said intermediate crosshead.

3. A mechanism as dened in claim 2 in which said intermediate top guideis integral with said Webs.

4. A mechanism as defined in claim 2 in which said cover plate and saidwebs are of lighter Weight material than said housing and saidintermediate top guide is of wear resistant material xed to said webs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 885,132 Ball Apr. 21, 1908 1,109,672 Fleming Sept. 8, 19141,164,500 Golden Dec. 14, 1915 1,178,555 Thomson Apr. 11, 1916 1,751,413Longenecker Mar. 18, 1930 1,775,612 Yingling Sept. 9, 1930 2,131,749Ofeldt Oct. 4, 1938 2,239,853 Louree Apr. 29, 1941

